Signal flag and lamp stand device



Aug. 16, 1932.

H. Kv DALTON SIGNAL FLAG .AND LAMP STAND DEVICE Filed March 13, 1951' INVEN TOR. flaeri [1. Ba liaxz A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1932 HUBERT K.DALTON, 0F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT SIGNAL FLAG AND LAMr STAND DEVICEApplication filed March 13, 1931.

This invention relates to a signal device. More particularly, it relatesto a collapsible and portable stand for supporting a danger flag orsignal lamp. In road "construction work or the like whenever signalmeans are F required to warn passersby or motorists, most of the signalmeans such as stands or posts driven into the ground are unwieldy andbulky, and do not lend themselves to convenient assembly on thecompletion of the job, or to storage, shipment, or re-use.

It is an object of the invention to provide a compact, easilyassembleddevice for a flag or light signal used in'connection withrepair or construction work along thoroughfares or the like. p i

Other objects of this invention are to provide a signal stand devicewhich can be readily moved or carried aroun 7 use, can be easily takenapart and compactly folded up, and where used in large numbers can bemoved from place .to place requiring only a small amount of space intrucks transporting said devices. Briefly stated, the inventionpreferably comprises a standard having detachably coupled thereto asupport for supporting the standard, and having also detachably coupledtheretoa flagstalf with a lantern arm thereon; The support and stafi areattachable to the standard and when not in use can be disengaged fromthe standard'and inserted into the respective ends of the standard, thusforming a compactunit which can be easily stored, shipped, or put intouse. Further objects and features of the present invention willsufliciently appear from the following detailed description and theclaims appended thereto. I

Referring in detail to the-drawing in which is shown a practical andsimple embodiment of the invention, and in which like references referto corresponding parts throughout the several views V v igure 1 is aside elevation and part perspective of a complete structure inaccordance with this invention; p

2 is a longitudinal section of the structure in its compacted form;

Fig. 3 is a side view on an enlarged scale of d and, when not in i slarger than that of the interior of the stand- 7 ard 10. The shoulderSerial No. 522,299.

the portion of the structure looking in the di- I rection of 3- 3, ofFig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom view of the supporting means ofthe structure shown in fieferring to the drawing which illustrates theinvention in its preferred form, a metal tubular or cylindrical standard10 with walls of sufficientthickness to make it resistant to the roughusage incidental to construction. 0 work, is provided at each end with aspring lever 12. The spring lever is pivoted to a pin 14 attached to thesides of a pocket 16, which is riveted to the outer wall of thestandard. The pocket has protruding sides to protect the ca lever frombreaking or bending. One end 17 of the lever 12 is'extended at rightangles to its length through a hole in the wall of the cylinder andintoits hollow portion, while the other end of the lever is exposed andrests on a resilient spring 18 seated on the floor of the pocket 16.When the exposed end of the lever is depressed against the spring 18 theend 17 describes a small arc in which it is moved-toward the outside ofthe pocket 16, and free from'the interior of the standard 10.

To the upper end of the standard 10 is engageda coupling membercomprising. a base 20 of aflagstaff22. The base 20 in this embodimentis'annular in shape and provided with circumferential recesses or'slots24 and 26 separated at themid portion of the base by a shoulder orextension 28, whose diameter 28 is of any suitable diameter suflicientto rest on the end of the standard 10 and is adapted to prevent thebase. member from falling into the hollow of the r Y standard 10. Therecesses 24 and 26 are provided with circumferential eXtensions30havinga diameter approximating the diameter of the standard 10 so as tobe inserted in the standard under slight frictional engagement toprevent too loosea fit. It is to benoted that the recesses 24 and 26 areadapted to be engaged at any point of their periphery by the triggeredend 17 of spring'lever 12 when either part of the base is insertedinwards into the hollow chamber of standard 10.

coupling -.member 42 used with Attached to the flagstafi 22, which maybe integral with the base, member 20, is an arm 32 adjustable at rightangles to the staff for holding a lantern 36 thereon when necessary, andwhich is pivoted to the topof the stafi by means of a pin 34. The arm 82can be swung counterclockwise from its right angle positio from thepivotto describe an arc until it'is'in alignment with the'longitudinal axisof the stafi 22 when not required tohold lantern 36. Alongsideithe staff:andiatdefinite intervals thereon are a number of bolts and nuts 38 forretaining in position a bar plate 40. When required signal flag 42 canbe attached to the fiagstafi'and he'ldin position by means of. the barplate -and the nuts'38. r V i v The other endof the standard 10 has;engaged theretoacoupling member'42 in engagement with a collapsibletripod 4 1. The the tripod for supporting the standard 10 is of the sameconstructionas member -11sedin connection with flagstafl '22 and is alsoprovided with circumferential recesses separated by an extensionshoulder 18. 7

Itis to benoted that'this base member can be inserted either,partinwardly into the interior ofthe standard 10 up to the shoulder 48,and that the'end of spring lever 12 can make contact with anypointofeither grooves 16 or .49. If thetripod 4 1 and base .member 12 aretosupport the standard as shown in 1, the lever will be in engagementwith slot 19, whereas if the tripod-and basermemher are to .be insertedinto the standard 10,

as shown iin Fig. 2, the lever end will connect with recess 46.

. The lower portion of thecouplingmember 4:2 has in this embodimentthree :equally spaced lugs 50 integral to themember 42.;

Each leg of the tripod is partly cut awayso as to engageiwith the lug150 and is pivoted bya pin 52 sothat the legs .form acompaet unit withthe base'member 4-2 when the tripod'is-folded. The legs of the-tripod44; are of. substantially rectangular cross section and have pivotedthereto by means ofa pin-5 1a short-bar 56. The -short'bars56-are alsopivoted toia'center piece 58so that whenthelegs otthetripod are spreadapart to support the standard 10,.the center-piece 5'8 dropsorzmay be.pushed below its center ,point toprevent the legs of'the tripodfronrcollapsing when 7 the demce'israisedor moved'a'bout. the bars 56 actinglike a toggle. -Further1nore, the

legsrof the tripod, once they are. spread apart will not told if thestand {is pushed or falls l over. 7

When the device shown in Fig-1 is to be taken apart'to becompacted, theexposed of the upper spring lever 12 is depressed to disengage the-end17 from the lower recess26 of the base 20 offiagstaif'ltl. The base 20.is

withdrawn from the standard and then inverted and inserted into thestandard 10, so 7 as to bring "gage itstri'ggered' end 17 from recess 19of the base 42 and then raising the standard '10. The center-piece" 58of the tripod is then pushed upward towa-rdthebase 12, therebydrawingthe .legs 44 -together. The folded tripod is then inserted,legslfirst, into the chamber of standard 10, asshown in Fig. 2, the end17 ofthelowerspringlever 12 engage ing with recess lfilofetae.couplingmember 1 12. In the embodiment-of .this invention, 1cou-. plingmembers 20- andA-2.are of the: same dimensions and are adapted to fitsnugly into either end. of standard 10. Thesevmembers may be madeinterchangeable and their flagstaffs, tripods, or otherdevices attachedthereto. 5 v The invention in its preferred form is of simpleconstruction. Furthermore, the structure as embodied herein is easilyassembled and taken apartvand is of such lightweight that it can bemoved about vfrom place to place by oneman, When the device .is .not inuse, and folded, and assembled in come pact form,- as shown-in Fig;2,-itcan.be:readily loaded onto trucks requiring only little room. Thedevice may be made of any-metaladapted to resist wear andtear-incidental to the use thereof, and also to :a'dverseatmosphericinfluences, a t

In thBzBD'lbOdlIIlGIlt of this invention, the coupling-base members areof the same 'diameter:'a'nd "are adapted .to fit into the interior ofthezstandard at either end and to be en gagediby the triggered end ofthespringlevers. Each coupling member is provided with a circumferentialextension or shoulder adapted to rest on the end of the standard so thateither of the circumferential recesses contained therein will beengaged, at any point thereon by the spring lever. A coupling member asembodied in this invention with a tubular standard affords a sturdy,-compact, and easily assembled signal device which can be used on anytypeof construction or-repair While the preferred embodiment-of theiinvention is :disclosed in the :dra winganddescribed in the specification,.it istobe understood that the construction may be modified withoutdeparting fromthe spirit'and scope of the invention as defined by-theappended I claim 1. In a collapsible and portable signal standard, thecombination with a standard having a spring lever at the respectiveends, of a base having a plurality of superposed recesses adapted forengagement with said spring lever, and a shoulder for resting againstthe end of said standard, said base having a flagstafi thereon, adaptedto be exposed from the standard as a flagstafl or in serted into thestandard.

2. A collapsible and portable signal device comprising a tubularstandard, a spring lever on said standard, a circumferentially recessedcoupling member for insertion within said cylindrical standard at eitherend thereof, and adapted to be engaged to the standard by the springlever at any point within the groove of said couplin 3. A. collapsibleand portable signal'device comprising a tubular standard, a spring leverat the end of said standard, a coupling member adapted to be insertedinto the hollow of said standard, a plurality of circumferentialrecesses Within the member adapted for engagement with said spring leverand a peripheral emension on said member intermediate said recesses andadapted for resting the coupling member on the end of the standard, saidcoupling being adapted for insertion at either end of the standard andfor being engaged on either side of the extension with the spring lever.

4:. In a collapsible and portable signal device, the combination with astandard having a pivoted spring lever at one end thereof, of a basehaving a plurality of superposed circumferential recesses for engagementwith said lever and a shoulder intermediate the recesses for makingcontact with either end of said standard, said base having a collapsibletripod for supporting the standard or upon being collapsed fortelescoping into the standard.

5. In a collapsible and portable signal device, the combination with amain cylindrical standard having a pivoted spring lever thereon with oneend jutting into the standard, of a cylindrical base member insertableinto the standard and kept in position therein by said spring lever,said member having annular recesses therein for accommodating thejutting end of the spring lever, and a H radially extending shoulderintermediate the W recesses for supporting the member against the end ofthe standard, and having collapsible supporting means for retaining thestandard in upright position. In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy invention, I have signed my name hereto.

HU BERT K. DALTON.

